


After Leaving The Bridge

by oohlips123



Series: The Bridge Between [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Brothers, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Nightmares, Platonic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24433708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oohlips123/pseuds/oohlips123
Summary: "Me and Gongenzaka were flying. But then he fell."Many lifetimes after the conclusion of The Bridge Between, Yuya is starting to remember his time in the Bridge Between during his life on Earth, just like his brothers did before him.What his brothers weren’t expecting was Yuya remembering not only the Bridge Between but his life before that.The memories he regains get worse before they get better.His brothers try their best to help their scared little brother work through not only the pain of his first life, but also the memories that they are still unable to access.
Relationships: Hiiragi Yuzu/Sakaki Yuya, Kurosaki Ruri/Yuto, Rin/Yugo (Yu-Gi-Oh), Sakaki Yuya & Yuto & Yugo & Yuri, Serena & Yuri (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Series: The Bridge Between [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764562
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	1. Prologue

It'd taken them lifetimes to get Yuya to see. See that the bad things before the Bridge weren't his fault. That Yuto, Yuri, and Yugo would always be his brothers, would always love and care for him as such, even if Yuya didn't think he deserved them. 

(He did. The three of them, of all people, should know how much he deserves someone looking out for him.)

It'd taken lifetimes upon lifetimes, and many a heart-to-heart in the Bridge Between but finally, they'd gotten it through.

Yuya was loved. Yuya  _ deserved _ to be loved. He didn't have to take on the world alone. That's what he had brothers for.

They should have known that wouldn't be the end of it. Even when he wasn't trying, Yuya always seemed to find new ways to kick start his brothers' protective instincts.

But they couldn't protect him from this.

They knew it would happen. Sooner or later their brother would remember, as they once had, everything that happened before they were born into their new life.

Ever since they’d gotten him back, Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri didn't have to wait to remember. They were born already knowing. The memories of the thousands of lives they lived already there inside their newborn heads.

They considered it a blessing. They didn't have to wait to regain their memories in order to love their little brother properly. 

But because they were born already knowing, they almost forgot what it was like before that. When they had to remember, one dream at a time.

They say that stress is less harmful when you have people to help you through it. Maybe it's the same with trauma.

Because the memories Yuya got back...

They got worse before they got better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I wasn't going to, but I couldn't sleep last night. This is the result. Guess I'm back to writing in this little universe of mine!   
> Don’t expect regular updates for this one, like you could for The Bridge Between. Because it is kind of an unplanned work, I don’t have any chapters written that can act as a buffer for if I feel too lazy to write. I can only write when I’m in the mood, so do expect the next chapter for a long while.   
> I have a general idea for how I want things to go, but nothing too concrete. I’m thinkin’ this one is gonna be about 3 or 4 chapters long, but they will definitely not be as long as the chapters in The Bridge Between. I don’t think I have it in me to write 3,000+ words each chapter like last time. It was tiring despite how fun I had.  
> P.S. I'll try not to be too mean this time around ;) I love all these boys too much to do that to them.


	2. Things get Worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want to know the truth? I finished editing and rereading this chapter yesterday, but completely forgot about it until right before bed. I was all prepared to upload it and everything, guys, I don’t know what happened…

The brothers had just turned six when Yuya had his first "nightmare". 

Yugo, having long since gotten used to living life as a kid after every rebirth, is shaken awake at 5 am by the tiny hands of his only little brother.

"Yuya?" He mumbled, his eyes half laden with sleep, "wa's wrong?"

"I-I had a bad dream, 'Ugo," little Yuya replied, his tiny hands wiping furiously at the tears running down his face.

_Well, that won't do,_ Yugo thought. No bad dream would make his little brother cry and get away with it.

Yugo pulled back the covers on his bed and scooted over, leaving just enough room for Yuya to climb in. His crimson eyed brother didn't even hesitate before climbing up.

"Wanna talk about it?" Yugo asked, his tiny fingers combing through the Christmas that was his brother's hair, "Mama says talking helps with stuff."

With his head on the pillow and his thumb in his mouth, Yuya nodded.

"Me and Gongenzaka were flying. And he was going really fast, too! But then he fell. And I couldn't catch him."

Feeling better after recounting the dream (just like his big brother said he would!), Yuya drifted back to sleep. 

He didn't notice how the hand combing soothingly through his hair froze. Or how the body he was snuggled against stiffened just a bit.

Watching his little brother drift into a peaceful sleep and trying to calm his frantically beating heart, Yugo had but one thought.

_How is_ he _going to take this?_

Not well, was his answer.

"I'm telling you, those were his exact words. "Me and Gongenzaka were flying. But then he fell. And I couldn't catch him." What other memory could he have gotten back if it wasn't _that_ memory!?" Yugo whisper yelled, trying his best to not let his volume get them caught underneath the old metal slide.

Hide-and-seek was the only way they could get Yuya away long enough for them to have this discussion. Luckily, mom hadn't told Yuya where they were hidden just yet. She was watching over their brother as he checked inside every sand castle in the sand box first, glancing over at her three other sons every now and then to make sure they were still there. Little Yuya was being very thorough in his search, too, so it was going to be a while before they were found.

"But why _that memory_ ?" Yuri asked no one, his six year face scrunched up in frustration, "until the life of our final reset, we never remembered _anything_ other than our time in the Bridge. Not the time with Zarc _nor_ our lives before that! So why is Yuya?! Is this just a one time deal or will he remember _all of it_?"

Yugo knew his older brother would react negatively to this revelation but, like always, his drama queen of a brother had to go above expectations with his reactions. It’s not like Yugo didn’t understand, either. Yuri had been a lonely boy before the Zarc incident, and had spent literal lifetimes after that just as alone as before. Yuri was desperate to protect the little family he had, so if something threatened any of them (his brothers or their parents, whom he grows to love no matter how many lives they live), Yuri would be the first to fight back.

That didn’t make his excessive worry any less annoying, though.

Yugo only shook his head. "I don't know. This was the first time he came to me for this kind of "bad dream". Everything before that was just regular stuff like monsters under beds and all that." He scratched at his head furiously, his already wild hair becoming worse. "Ugh! Okay! Time to put those years of problem solving skills to the test, then! What are the key differences between us and Yuya that would make him remember when we didn’t?”

“Well, we know he never lost his memories of the time before the Bridge. Whereas, we _still_ can’t remember our time with Zarc,” Yuto proposed, “Maybe that has something to do with it.”

Yuri shook his head. “I don’t think that’s it though. Because despite our inability to remember, we _know_ the memories of that time are still there. We can feel the wall that blocks them. What memories we possess shouldn’t affect what we remember here because, for all intents and purposes, all four of us had the _potential_ to remember things from before the Bridge because we all _have_ said memories.” his hand clutched at the sand by his leg, “I think it’s something else, but I can’t think of what it could be.”

The three brothers sat in silence, only the sound of their gentle breathing and the cries of cheer from the children outside their little hideout.

“Maybe,” Yuto finally began, “maybe it’s not _something_ else, but _someone_ , instead.” The eldest brother was leaning out from underneath the slide just far enough to watch as his youngest brother moved from the sandbox to the jungle gym. He felt his brothers join him in watching as Yuya made his way underneath the jungle gym, seeking them out in the shadows the structure cast.

Yugo’s eyebrows pinched together in doubt. “You think Yuya is the reason why we can’t remember the castle?”

Yuto shifted, concealing himself in the shadow of the slide once again. “I don’t think he realized what was happening. He was the one to help us remember the first time we were “awake” in the Bridge. I think, with his soul never leaving the Bridge, even when we were remembering things down on Earth, I think _that_ was what influenced what we remembered.”

“Every time our souls reset, they were doing so with the goal of seeing Yuya again,” Yuri mumbled, looking contemplative, “The only thing that mattered was getting our brother back, and he was always on the Bridge. The memories from before that didn’t matter as much as the memories we made while we were together in the Bridge Between. We didn’t remember the time _before_ Zarc until our souls decided it was necessary to get Yuya back.”

Yugo nodded slowly, “So your saying that the reason Yuya is remembering the things we didn’t is because, unlike us, his soul doesn’t have anyone up on the Bridge that can draw it’s attention away from the memories of _before_ the Bridge.”

“It makes sense,” Yuto said, “too bad we have no one we can ask for advice, though. We can’t be certain until we get to the Bridge and ask the Ens.”

“Wait,” Yugo interjects, “so this means that Yuya is going to remember _everything_ ? Even the stuff _we_ don’t remember?”

His elder brothers looked at each other and nodded. “Looks like we’ll have to prepare ourselves, then. From the little we’ve been able to get out of him, I have a feeling we’re going to be dealing with a lot more “nightmares” soon.” Yuto sighs.

“THERE YOU ARE!!!”

Yugo felt himself fall face first into the sand as a familiar weight rammed into his back.

“I found you,” Yuya yelled, his smile wide as he latched onto Yugo’s downed form. The crimson eyed boy looked up, his smile growing even wider as he spotted his other brothers underneath the same slide.

Moving faster than a six year old should be able, Yuya arose from his spot on top of Yugo and flung himself onto Yuri and Yutos’ crouching selves, his two elder brothers having been frozen by his sudden appearance.

“I found you, too!” Yuya cried, giggling as Yuri struggled to get from underneath him.

Yugo pulled himself out from under the slide. “AWWW! Guess that means I’m ‘it’ now!”

Yuya crawled out after him, “Yep! I got you first, Yugo, so that means it’s your turn to look!” He turned around to Yuto and Yuri, both having made their way out from underneath the slide. He quickly grabbed their hands and started dragging him towards the sandbox. 

“Common Yuri, Yuto! I know a great place to hide!” He leaned closer to them, his attempt at a whisper still loud enough for Yugo and their mother to hear as they walked to the counting tree. “There’s this castle with a Moat and crocodiles! Yugo will never find us there!”

And as the boys readied themselves for another round of hide-and-seek, the three eldest couldn’t stop themselves from smiling.

Despite the worrying prospect of their brother’s slowly returning memories, they could take comfort in the fact that Yuya had the three of them to look after him.

  
  


None of them thought they’d actually get away with keeping Yuya’s nightmares a secret from their parents. The two rooms split between the quadruplets were just down the hall from their parent’s master bedroom. The space was both too big, yet too small for such a secret to exist. Keeping the ever growing frequency of the nightmares a secret from their parents was a fight they knew they were going to lose.

That didn’t mean they didn’t try.

They made it for about 6 months.

While most of Yuya’s dreams woke him into a coherent enough state from him to seek out his brothers, some would trap him inside. His usual quiet whimpers would soon turn to pained cries in the night that summoned his brothers to his aid.

Until one night, he just wouldn’t wake up.

Yugo rose from his bed, half asleep like usual, but made his way over to his baby brother. Yuya’s bed was a tangled mess of sheets, with his red and green hair more wild than it’s ever been. Yuya’s crimson eyes were closed, but a steady stream of tears ran down his face. 

Yugo reached over and laid his six and a half year old hand on his brother’s shoulder, shaking him gently. 

“Wake up, ‘uya. It’s just a dream.”

Yuya slept on.

Yugo shook a little harder. “Common Yuya. Wake up.”

Yuya’s eyes remained closed. His whimpers grew worse. He sounded like he was in pain.

Yugo was getting worried now. “Yuya? Yuya! What’s wrong, lil bro? Common, Yuya, you gotta wake up.”

Yuya was thrashing around in his bed, now. His breaths were coming fast and clipped. He was hyperventilating.

“Yu-Yuya,” Yugo cried, his own breathing picking up to match his brother’s, “W-Wake up, Yuya.” 

Yugo felt the switch in his mind quiver.

Have you ever wondered what it was like, being reborn over and over, having to live life as a child despite having lived to the age of eighty just one life prior? 

It freaking sucks, that’s what. So fate gave Yugo and his brothers a way to cope.

They are reborn already bearing the memories of their past lives, but that process doesn’t take away the fact that they now inhabit the bodies of children. And with those bodies come all the emotions and instincts of a growing child. If they so choose, Yugo and his brothers can give themselves over to those instincts, and live life with the thoughts and emotions that match their new looks.

In essence, when the memories of their past lives aren’t needed, they sit in the back of their minds, and Yugo and his brothers are nothing more than regular six and a half year old boys. When they need to think like the adults they really are, they can do so with ease, like flipping a switch.

But this can backfire.

What would happen if the mind of the child over takes the mind of the adult? If the child is the one that flips the switch?

Yuto and Yuri find the result when they barge into their sibling’s room moments later.

There, they find Yuya, thrashing about in his bed, his silent screams now given voice, with the volume steadily rising.

There, they find Yugo, staring at his brother, his breath short and fast, tears streaming down his face. The look of a blind man without his cane plastered on Yugo’s face.

“Yugo,” Yuri asked, confused as to why his younger brother was frozen, “Yugo, what’s going on?” 

Yugo’s head slowly turned to look at his elder brothers, his breaths coming in short bursts. His eyes were glassy and unseeing. Yuya shifted and Yugo's attention returned to the fitful form on the bed. His hands shook as he grasped Yuya once more, his movements no longer that of the man, but of the frightened child.

“Yuya… wake up. _Please_...”

The youngest’s eyes remained shut.

....

“Wahhhhhh!!!!”

Yugo collapsed onto the ground, the complicated thoughts of an adult being washed away by the terror of a little boy who didn’t know how to fix his baby brother.

Yuri and Yuto jump to action, with Yuto quickly approaching Yuya’s bed to try and wake the other and Yuri running over to the crying Yugo, his confusion at the situation taking a backseat to the worry for his obviously distressed brother.

“What’s going on in here?”

Two heads turned to the still opened doorway and the figure of their mother, Sakaki Yoko, her hair undone and her night robe hastily thrown on.

Yuto, keeping a level head despite the thrashing form of Yuya cradled in his arms, replied, “Yuya won’t wake up! And Yugo just started crying!”

And Yoko, their wonderful mother, got right to work.

She rushed over to the confused Yuto and the thrashing Yuya, having come to the conclusion that fixing this problem would solve all the rest. She sat herself on the bed and gently separated Yuya from his brother, bringing the younger into her lap despite his flailing arms that left bruises on her body. She wrapped her arms around him, and rocked, back and forth, a steady rhythm to her every action. She rocked, and swayed, and carded her hand through his sweat soaked hair, whispering softly into his unhearing ear. 

Yuto watched in awe as his mother’s gentle rhythm broke through the fog of Yuya’s nightmare. Minutes must have passed, but it seemed to take only a moment before Yuya’s movements calmed. His arms no longer swung to hit an unseen enemy and his eyes no longer shed tears of fear and anguish. Yuya’s crimson eyes never opened, but they could tell, the “nightmare” had been chased away, if only for a night.

“Mama?”

Yugo, with help from a worried Yuri, had arisen from his spot on the ground and looked at their mother, a vulnerability his brothers had never seen in him before shining alongside the tears in his eyes.

"Will Yuya be okay?" His voice warbled as he asked.

Their mother's eyes softened and she held out an arm to beacon Yugo closer. "Come here, sweety. Yuya just had a bad dream, is all. He'll be just fine."

Yugo quickly climbed onto the bed, and practically threw himself at their mother, her arm wrapping him in a safe and warm embrace.

Yoko's eyes traveled to the two eldest, and she adjusted her spot on the bed. "Get on up here, boys," she said with a tired smile, "we're sharing Yuya's bed tonight."

Yuto and Yuri glanced at each other, before joining their mother on the nearly cramped bed.

"This isn't his first nightmare, is it?" Yoko asked, knowing that, while the younger two were quickly drifting, her elder sons would take a bit longer to tire.

Yuri moved himself closer to their mother's warmth, mumbling, "we didn't want to worry you."

Yuto nodded, "And you would have told dad, and then dad would have come home from his tour early. We didn't want to bother him, either."

Their mother sighed. "Sometimes, you boys act so mature, I don't know what to do with you," her lips turned up into a small smile, "You let me worry about your father, okay? I'll handle all the grown up stuff. You two just keep taking care of your brothers."

She let out an almost exaggerated yawn.

"We'll head to the doctor's tomorrow," she mumbled, feeling the call of the soft mattress pull her closer to sleep alongside her children, "hopefully, they can help my poor baby get some sleep."

As their mother combed her fingers through their multicolored hair, the small family drifted into the most peaceful sleep they'll have in a while.

  
  


The doctor was no help, just like the brothers thought.

“All his symptoms point towards PTSD, but from what you’ve told me of his daily life, we can’t pinpoint a reason behind these nightmares. We’re at a complete loss as to how to proceed.”

Their mother has Yuya cradled in her arms, with Yugo sniffling into her shirt, the child still in control of the switch. Yuto and Yuri watch the doctor, aware but uncaring of how odd their serious expressions clash with their young forms. 

“Is there anything we can do?” their mother asks, her hands carding through Yugo’s yellow and blue hair slowly, “Is there a medicine he can take to stop the nightmares?”

The doctor shook his head, “He’s too young for any of the medication available. It would do more harm than good, for both his physical and psychological health, if we gave him any medication for this. The only thing you can do for now, ma’m, is comfort him and help him through the aftermath. Hopefully, he’ll grow out of this.”

Yuto looked at Yuri, a look of doubt reflected on the other’s face.

The likelihood of Yuya “growing out of this” like the doctor thinks, was slim.

  
  


The nightmares were now a nightly occurrence. 

Nearly two years have passed since Yuya first started remembering, and the nightmares just seem to get worse as time goes on.

“Yugo and Yuto were really angry for some reason. They started to duel. And then Yuto disappeared.”

“I was in this BIG turbo duel stadium! But then all my friends kept falling into this big hole in the ground. And I couldn’t do anything to help.”

“The city was blown up. All I could hear were screams.”

“Yuzu was yelling for help. But every time I got close, she got further away.”

“Gongenzaka, Sawatari, and I were running through a forest. Then Crow was there, too! But then a crazy guy came and started shoving Crow into a tiny box.”

“Serena and Ruri were dueling against me. Yuzu was watching. And then, I got _angry_.”

After every dream, Yuya found his way into the bed of one of his brothers. After months of constant nightmares, Yuya didn’t even bother going to his own bed at night, choosing instead to just sleep with his brothers from the start in lieu of waking them in the middle of the night to ask.

Not even once did Yugo, Yuri, or Yuto complain. After every dream, Yuya would find himself in the comforting embrace of a sleepy Yugo, of a calmingly quiet Yuto, or of a gently smiling Yuri. They all took turns comforting their brother, especially when the dreams started affecting their sleep as well.

They didn’t bother to question how. Everything about this situation confused them. They just wanted to figure out _what_ they were seeing.

“It’s like I was there with him,” Yuri said, his eight year old body lying tired on Yugo’s bed. They were taking advantage of Yuya’s “playdate” with Gongenzaka at his family dojo. They’d passed on joining him this time in order to confront Yuri on why he’d been acting so strangely the past few days.

Yuri’s eyes looked more haunted than should be possible for someone his age, if it weren’t for the fact that he was practically ageless. 

“One moment, I was floating in the comforting darkness of a dreamless sleep, the next, I was standing in _our garden_ . And not the one from the Bridge, either. It was the _original_ garden, I could _feel it_.”

Yuto and Yugo were enraptured. During the many talks they had in the Bridge Between, Yuya almost never spoke about their shared time under Zarc. It was mentioned, of course, but never talked about in detail. Yuya did not wish to tell and they didn’t want to push him. They couldn’t change what had happened, and so they’d worked on helping Yuya with how to live life _after_ that.

That didn’t mean they weren’t curious, though. 

A whole chapter in their lives was missing. A chapter that shaped them and their souls into the beings they were today. They knew it wasn’t a happy story, and that the ending would leave more pain than they’d ever felt throughout all their lifetimes, but they couldn’t help but be curious.

“What was it like,” Yugo whispered, holding onto every word his brother spoke.

Yuri’s eyes were distant, watching a scene neither of his brothers could remember. “It was… reposeful,” he sighed, all the tension he carried in his shoulders smoothing away at the memory, “it was every moment I spent there, just looking up at the sky, healed a scar on my heart that I didn’t even realize was there.”

Yugo could imagine it. Their garden, newly made and only for _them_. No one else was allowed, no one else could touch them there. 

He was a bit scared to remember that time. It was his fault they even needed that garden to heal in the first place. He was the first to fall at the manipulations of Zarc and it was that failure to resist that brought his brothers down with him.

Yugo shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. If Yuya wasn’t allowed to blame himself for everything that happened back then, then neither was he.

No matter how true those sentiments felt.

“Then what happened?” Yuto asked, trepidation in his heart as he thought about what could have turned such a peaceful memory into the nightmare that put tears into Yuya’s eyes upon awakening.

Yuri frowned, his eyes conveying a pain his brothers empathically felt. “There was a knock on the door leading back into the castle. The peace of the garden shattered, and suddenly, it felt like I couldn’t breathe. The air was heavy, and Yuto went to open the door.” 

Yuri’s eyes were haunted as he turned to look at his brothers.

“It was Zarc,” Yuri’s voice wavered, feeling a fear unlike any other as he remembered the face of their past tormentor. He couldn’t remember everything the man did, but he felt it in his _soul_. “He said something, but I couldn’t hear what. Then, Yugo got up from his spot next to Yuya and walked out the door, Zarc’s arm innocently thrown around his shoulders.”

Yuri grasped at his chest, “I felt like a part of me _died_.”

The three of them sat there, each consumed by their own thoughts on how the story that was their lives was progressing.

Yuto was the first to speak. “Okay. So, we’re sharing dreams now. That’s fine. It’s not like any other part of our lives have been normal, anyway.” He stood up from his spot on the carpet and dusted off his pants, “that doesn’t change anything. Yuya will still have these nightmares, whether we share them or not, and we still need to be there for him. We promised, and I’m not too keen on breaking promises.”

Yugo and Yuri nodded. 

“Obviously,” Yuri stated, the melancholy in his eyes dimming to make way for his usual mischief, “I won’t leave our little brother alone with only you and Fusion to look after him, Yuto. He’d either turn into an angsty goth or a hyperactive adrenaline junky.”

“Hey, Pinky! My name is YUGO!” the other shouted in reply, “I wouldn’t leave Yuya in your care, either. He’d probably turn into an emotionally stunted psycho!”

Yuri jumped at the other, and the two brothers began wrestling on the bedroom floor. Yuto could only shake his head. What a pair of goofballs they were.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

  
  


Yuya wasn’t sleeping.

This normally wouldn’t worry the three brothers, as Yuya hadn’t _truly slept_ since the night their mother found out.

What worried them was that he was refusing to sleep _at all_. 

The ten year olds had been dealing with Yuya’s memories and nightmares for the past four years now, but throughout all of it, Yuya would at least attempt to get some rest. 

Everyone in the house knew that he’d be awoken by the images he saw behind his closed eyelids, but they all worked in order to make him as comfortable as he could be after the fact. 

He’d stopped sharing their beds when they all turned nine, despite the reassurances given by his brothers that he wasn’t a bother. Yuya felt that, if he was going to have to live his life being plagued by nightmares, he might as well get used to sleeping alone. 

His brothers wouldn’t be around to comfort him forever, after all.

Yuri, Yugo, and Yuto had adjusted to this decision though, and still took it upon themselves to be there for their brother who was suffering. After four years of nightmares and two years of shared dreams, the older boys were so in tune with Yuya’s night terrors that they would already be at his bedside by the time he shook himself from the dreams. 

So when all three brothers woke up one morning with a full night’s rest and Yuya already in the kitchen, helping their mother cook breakfast, they grew suspicious. 

Not once had Yuya failed to dream of the past since that night four years ago, and not once had _they_ failed to be awoken after sensing his distress. 

Yuya looked as he heard the familiar footsteps of his older brothers making their way down the stairs.

“Morning!” He called to them cheerfully, setting plates on the table, “breakfast is almost done. Mom made her special pancakes!”

Yuri looked at his Yugo and Yuto, confusion coloring his face. The three sat down at the dining room table and waited for their mother to finish. Yuya sat himself down in his usual seat, a cheerful smile on his face as he kicked his legs under the table with glee. He seemed so… lively, today.

Their mother stepped out of the kitchen, a plate of pancakes in one hand and a plate of sausages and bacon in the other. She set the plates down and made her way around the table, kissing her childrens’ foreheads as she walked to her seat. “How are my beautiful boys doing this morning?” She asked.

“We’re doing good, mom,” Yugo said, the same smile he always wore when interacting with their parents. It was in moments like these that Yuri remembered that Yugo had been an orphan for 90% of his lifetimes. The happiness his brother must have felt when he finally had the loving parents he’d always seen other kids with must have been as fulfilling as Yuri finally having a family who actually _loved_ him.

Yuri filled his plate, a smile of his own appearing as he ate. “We slept well. Like a bunch of logs, actually.”

Yuto nodded and gave a soft “hm” in agreement. Yuri sighed and continued. Yuto never really put in the effort to talk first thing in the morning. He could still speak, it wasn’t a physical impairment or anything like that. The blanket of sleep just wrapped around Yuto like a heated comforter, and Yuto was never in a rush to take it off. It’d sometimes take hours for them to hear him actually speak.

_Just because we can understand your “hm”s and “huh”s doesn’t mean you can just stop talking_ , Yuri grumbled in his head. _Say something, dammit!_

Yuto looked at his brother and smiled, the twinkle in his eyes saying that he knew exactly what Yuri was thinking, never a word leaving his mouth.

_I saw that, you little-_

“So,” Yugo interrupted, not knowing of the catastrophic foodfight he’d just prevented, “how’d you sleep, Yuya?”

All eyes turned to the youngest. Yuya gave them a bright, closed eyed smile, as he replied, “Like a log, Banana head.” Yugo bristled and gave their younger brother a punch on his arm.

“You’re lucky you a cute kid, _lil_ bro, or I’d be angry,” Yugo huffed, “But I’ll be the bigger guy this time, and let that slide.” He gave Yuya a smug look, the two of them communicating with their eyes just like Yuto and Yuri just were. 

Yuya flung a piece of his sausage at their blue eyed brother, and Yuri watched the (inevitable) food fight begin.

And as their mother scolded their younger brothers for making a mess with the food she lovingly prepared for them, Yuto and Yuri shared a meaningful look as they continued eating.

That smile Yuya had given. It was the smile he always gave when he had something to hide. The one he _always_ gave when he was lying.

Their little brother isn’t sleeping. 

Now they just had to figure out what to do about that.

The subtle glance Yugo gave them told Yuri that he might have an idea.

  
  


They held their intervention three nights later.

Yoko had gone to bed hours ago, her rules on her children’s bedtimes loosening as they got older. As long as they all got up on time and got good grades in school, she didn’t mind how long they stayed up.

Yuto didn’t think she’d expected one of her children to abuse that trust, though. 

He and his brothers had spent the last two (entirely sleepless) nights investigating their suspicions. 

They were right, in the end. Yuya wasn’t sleeping. He’d doze, obviously, as his body fought with his mind to get it’s necessary eight hours, but Yuya never slept.

They were going to fix this. Tonight.

They couldn’t stop the nightmares, but they could stop their brother from hurting himself even more with this dumb decision of his.

It was 2 AM, Sunday morning. They’d have all morning to sleep in if this went well.

Yuto pushed back his covers and looked to Yuri on the other side of the room. He nodded, and they both gathered all the blankets and pillows they could get their hands on. They made their way down the stairs.

They had work to do.

  
  


Yugo stared at the white of his wall, pretending to sleep as he heard Yuya, once again, startle into wakefulness from his dozing. Yugo had to fight the urge to get up and approach their little brother, though. The plan wouldn’t work if he did that. Yuya would be suspicious. So Yugo bit his lip and waited, listening to Yuya struggle against something he couldn’t fight in the worst way possible.

Yugo turned in his bed, closing his eyes to make sure Yuya didn’t know he was awake. Yugo fought the urge to fall asleep as soon as his eyes shut and waited. He heard Yuya shift, signalling that he was no longer looking at his blue eyed brother. 

Yugo opened his eyes and turned his attention to the alarm clock in between their beds. 

2:30 AM.

_They should be finished by now,_ he thought. 

Yugo shifted again, making a show of sitting up. He rose slowly from his bed, looking over at Yuya who had closed his eyes so Yugo wouldn’t know he was awake. 

Yugo slipped out from under his covers and put on his slippers. He walked quietly to the door, opening it just enough and walking into the hallway. He left the door cracked open, so the light of the hallway night light would shine through.

Making his way down the stairs, Yugo met up with his older brothers. 

Yuya was a curious kid. He’d get suspicious when Yugo didn’t return to the bedroom.

All that was left to do was wait.

  
  


Ten minutes passed before they heard the door to Yugo and Yuya’s bedroom creek open. 

Yuri thinks their parents' choice in who gets what bedroom was very deliberate. They gave the bedroom with the creaky door to the two sons who looked for adventure under the moon. 

Yugo had a tendency to sneak a midnight snack every once in a while, something their mother looked down upon because it ruined his appetite in the morning. Yuya used to sleepwalk, specifically when he was about 4 years old. The creaky door used to signal to their mother that one of her sons was up to no good or about to fall down the stairs while chasing sheep.

Right now, the creaky door was their signal that their little brother had taken the bait.

Yuri quickly and quietly moved himself to his position right at the bottom of the staircase. He felt his other brother position themselves accordingly as well. 

Yuya would check the bathroom upstairs first, and then he’d check Yuri and Yuto’s room, finding it empty. Finally, their little brother would make his way down this very staircase, looking for them.

_He’ll find us, alright_ , Yuri thought, _but not before we catch him, first._

Yuri could faintly hear the various doors upstairs open and close. Yuya was pretty good at sneaking around, but he had nothing on them. They remembered, whereas Yuya didn’t.

Yuya was making his way to the staircase, now, his brothers remaining unseen in the pitch of the living room. Mom usually had a small night light in the kitchen to combat the darkness, but that was unnecessary right now. The darkness was Yuri’s friend in this moment, more than his enemy.

Yuri started the countdown. Yuya was halfway down the stairs, now.

_5… 4… 3… 2… 1… NOW!_

“Wha-!”

Yuri lunged at Yuya, feeling Yuto do the same. Yuri grabbed Yuya’s legs and pulled, now carrying half of his brother’s weight while Yuto carried the other half, Yuya’s cry being stifled by Yuto’s hand.

They quickly made their way to the living room couch and, with Yugo’s help, placed their brother inside.

The fairy lights inside the pillow fort switched on as soon as they got Yuya through the small opening. Blankets of blue, grey, and purple lay on top of the couch’s displaced cushions, adding to the softness. Yuya’s eyes fluttered as his body tried to drag him into dreamland while his mind was distracted by the fort that felt like sheep’s wool and smelt like home.

Yuya shook his head, forcing his mind into the present once more. Yuri grumbled under his breath. Just a little longer and their little brother would have been out cold.

_Guess we’re going to have to go with the “talk Yuya to sleep” plan rather than the “shock Yuya to sleep” plan_ , he thought, _I quite liked the former more. It would have been more dramatic._

Yuri and his brothers entered the fort themselves. It was _just_ big enough for the four of them to fit.

“Uh, guys,” Yuya started, looking at his brother imploringly, “what’s going on? Why are we in a _pillow fort_?”

Yugo crawled over to Yuya in the cramped space and threw his body on top of Yuya’s, effectively pinning the younger to the soft cushioning of the fort. 

“You’re gonna sleep, Yuya,” Yugo said bluntly, “whether you like it or not.”

Yuya sputtered, trying to get from underneath Yugo and failing spectacularly. “Gonna sleep? What would make you think I’m not sleeping?”

It was such an obvious lie, Yuri didn’t think Yuya himself believed what he just said. 

“Other than the fact that you can’t even get Yugo off you when you can usually wrestle head-to-head with him?” Yuri said, ignoring Yugo’s offended whines, “You haven’t had a night terror in three days, Yuya. Did you think we wouldn’t notice?”

Yuya looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. Despite this, all three of them could see the tears forming in the dimness of the fairy lights. 

“Please,” Yuya begged, “don’t make me.”

Yuri felt his resolve falter, hating to see his brother cry. But Yuya _needed_ to sleep. His mind was already worn thin due to the nightly memories turned nightmares. Yuri didn’t want to find out what zero hours of sleep added to that would do to Yuya.

Yuto crawled over, laying down next to Yuya and wrapping his arm behind him. Yuya’s head rested naturally on Yuto’s shoulder, and Yuri saw the younger boy shake himself awake again.

“We don’t want to, little brother,” Yuto whispered, his hand carding through Yuya’s crimson and green hair, like their mother did years ago, to try and give some semblance of comfort. “God knows how it hurts watching you suffer, Yuya. If we could make them go away, you know we would in a heartbeat. “

Yuri crawled over to lay down on Yuya’s other side, and wrapped his arm behind Yuya as well. “We know you don’t want to sleep, Yuya. And we don’t blame you for it. But you _need_ to sleep. You could barely _walk_ today, let alone focus on classwork or dueling.” 

Yugo rolled over, and squeezed himself into the small space between Yuto and Yuya, wrapping both his arms around the youngest’s waist. “You _are_ going to sleep. And you _are_ going to dream. There’s no avoiding it, and trying to escape through never sleeping will only hurt you in the long run. That’s something that, as your big brothers, we can’t allow.” 

Yuya had tears running silently down his cheeks. He was shaking his head, his lips soundless pleading no to make his sleep, he can’t he _can’t_.

Yuri’s hand slowly lifted to cover Yuya’s eyes, forcing the latter to focus only on the softness of the blankets and the warmth of his brothers around him. “But you know what else you can’t avoid, Yuya? Something that even these nightmares will never be able to outlast? Us. You’re three brothers. No matter how many times you wake up screaming. No matter how much you thrash, and cry, and suffer, we _will_ be there, like we’ve been since the day we came into this world. Be it five or ten or thirty years from now, if you need us to chase away the echoes of a dream, we’ll do it, no questions asked.”

“The nightmares will come,” Yuto said, his hand continuing it’s gentle carding through Yuya’s air, “and when they do, when they shove you into wakefulness, scared and confused, we’ll be here. Whether we’re at your bedside or in this fort, we won’t leave you. So please, Yuya. Let go.”

Silence filled the fort, the fairy lights casting soft shadows inside, and the three brothers waited. Yuya, who’s eyes were still covered by Yuri’s warm hand, whose head felt pleasantly numb from Yuto’s fingers, and whose tired body felt like it was floating in the clouds, supported only by Yugo’s tightly wrapped arms. Yuya, feeling a serenity unlike any other at his brothers’ insistent reassurances, nodded.

He let the darkness carry him under, and he slept. 

  
  


Yoko walked tiredly down the staircase at 9:30 AM, like she did every weekend, groggy but ready to start working on breakfast. When she finally reached the final step, she paused at the sight of the pillow fort encompassing the entirety of the couch.

Feeling her cuteness radar going off, she tiptoed over to the opening and peaked inside.

_Looks like that plan of theirs went well_ , she thought.

Inside the fort, the four brothers lay sleeping. Yuri and Yuto had Yuya’s torso sandwiched between them, the youngest’s head pillowed by their arms. Yugo had seemingly shoved himself into the pile, both of his arms wrapped around the younger, like Yuya was a giant teddy bear. And Yuya, her son whose refusal to sleep had nearly driven her to drag him to the hospital, he looked more peaceful than she’d seen him in years.

She saw the tear stains on his cheeks, saw the crinkle on his brow that indicated yet another night of nightmares, but despite all of this, Yoko saw the peaceful little smile he had, even in his sleep. 

Yoko had a feeling that she wouldn’t have to worry about his little boy not sleeping anymore. She wouldn’t have to worry at all, not when he had such wonderful older brothers looking out for him.

She quietly closed the opening and made her way back up the stairs. 

_They’re going to be out for a long while,_ she thought with a smile. _Now where did I put that camera?_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! I give you this chapter, which took forever to write! And a chapter that will hopefully stop you from killing me when I tell you the likelihood of the final chapter coming out anytime soon is very, very slim. I have a general idea about how I want this story to end, but the road to that destination is blurry. The end and beginning is always easy, but the middle…. 
> 
> Meh. I’ll see what I can do.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait. I hate when a story makes me want more and then suddenly goes off the deep end and into an incomprehensible abyss. I don’t want to waste your time like that, my dudes, so I hope I didn’t disappoint.
> 
> If you have any questions, leave a comment. If you don’t have questions and just want to say something, leave a comment. If you want to bash on my horrendous writing, leave a comment! All comments are welcome in this household!


	3. Before They Get Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to upload, guys. This was my first semester with course work dedicated to my major, so I was a bit overwhelmed. I had a bit of a panic attack the second week of school from the stress of it all. I'm better now, though, especially with it being Winter break! So here's you're Christmas gift! I hope you enjoy it

The nights in the pillow fort are now a weekly occurrence.

Every Saturday, the two oldest brothers would gather up all the pillows and blankets in the house and gather them together by the living room couch. And while the two of them built the fort, Yugo and Yuya perused their family’s selection of movies for the four of them to watch. Once everything was in place (including the slowly-dimming-from-overuse fairy lights), they would all crawl inside and lay down in a now familiar dogpile. One by one, they would fall asleep, eventually leaving Yuto to be the one to turn off the long forgotten movie.

And then, Yuya would dream.

Some nights were better than others. Occasionally, instead of dreaming of the more scarring memories of his past life, Yuya would be soothed by happy ones. 

Dueling with Yuzu and the kids from You-Show Duel School.

Peaceful school days.

Mother’s cooking.

Dad’s ever present smile as he flew through the air of a duel stadium.

Sometimes, Yuto and his brothers were present, memories from their many lives together bleeding through.

One of Yugo’s many wedding ceremonies to Rin, with the star attraction being the D-Wheel themed wedding cake.

Yuri, working quietly alongside their mother in the house garden and whispering to Yuya the meaning of certain flowers.

Yuto, who some lifetimes ago, decided he wanted to join a rock band, playing his heart out on stage as the small but excited crowd cheered.

The dream sharing was more common now, too. Not every night, and almost always when Yuya was dreaming of _that place_ , but Yuto found comfort in the fact that they could be there for Yuya, even if they had no way of stopping what had already happened.

All-in-all, the lives of the Sakaki brothers weren’t great, but they were getting better.

“I think we should tell him,” Yuto stated abruptly, pulling Yugo and Yuri’s attention away from their homework. 

They could hear Yuya rummaging through the kitchen down stairs, trying to find the snacks Yugo had hidden from their mother. In this life, Sakaki Yoko was a fanatic when it came to dental health. Treats were kept to a minimum, and they all knew that dentist appointments were to always be arrived at 10 minutes early. That didn’t stop the brothers’ sweet teeth, though. Yugo and Yuri especially so. Whereas Yuri squirreled away money to buy the most expensive and delicious pastries he could find, Yugo would get his hands on buckets full of candy and hide them throughout the house for later consumption.

Later consumption this time, it seemed, happened to be in the middle of their group homework session in the house study. But Yugo had been having difficulty in his English class recently, his many past lives not able to help him navigate the confusing and ever changing landscape that was the English language. Yuya, who had a knack for the subject, refused to let Yugo get away from their study table for any reason until Yugo finished his english homework. Even if it meant finding Yugo’s hidden candy for him.

Yugo’s head tilted, his blue eyes conveying his confusion. “Tell who what, bro?”

“Yuya,” Yuto said, laying down his own pencil to focus on his brothers, “we’re gonna turn twelve in a few weeks. And despite how well we’ve all adapted, it doesn’t feel right to keep Yuya in the dark about what his dreams really are. So, I was thinking that, on our 12th birthday, we should tell him about it.”

Yuri’s eyes narrowed. “All of it?”

Yuto nodded. “The Bridge. Our past lives. Everything, really.”

“Are you sure,” Yugo questioned, looking worried, “what if he doesn’t… take it well?”

Yuri sighed. “I guess I’d rather have him angry or upset at us rather than him hurt over us never trying. He’s going to remember everything sooner or later, anyway.”

Yuto nodded. “And he won’t start thinking that he’s gone insane when he remembers everything he did to the humans while we were with _him_.”

Yuto saw Yugo and Yuri’s faces darken. 

It was a few months after that first shared dream with Yuya that the three brothers started having dreams of their own. Like a key finding its matching lock, as soon as they saw through Yuya’s eyes what really happened in Zarc’s castle, the barrier in their minds shattered, and the brothers began to remember.

And just like they suspected, it wasn’t a happy story.

The humans they hurt, the lives they destroyed. Everything they did while under Zarc and their dragons' influence came rushing back. 

None of them really liked thinking about it.

Yugo slowly nodded, too. “Okay. I’ll agree with that, at least.” He twirled his pencil in his hand, “So, when are we telling him again?”

“I FOUND THEEEEEMMMMMM!!!” Yuya sounded off, his cheerful footfalls hurrying up the staircase. Their youngest brother burst into the room, a familiar grin plastered onto his eleven year old face, and a decently sized bucket in his hand. “You didn’t tell me you had PayDays, Yugo!”

“Of course I have PayDays,” Yugo replied with a proud smile, “I have connections in the underground candy ring.”

Yuri scoffed. “Connections, he says. Like we all don’t know you nab them from Jack when he and Crow aren't looking.”

Yugo sputtered, but quickly folded his arms and gave a huff. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Never mind that,” Yuto interrupted, looking to Yuya, “does he have any Twizzlers in there?”

Yuya reached inside the bucket, and pulled out the treat with a smile. “That he does, big bro, that he does.”

The red and green haired boy poured the candy out on the table, and the four of them dug in, their previous conversation temporarily forgotten in lue of the sugary treats in front of them.

Their 12th birthday arrived with as much fanfare and fun as the other birthdays before it. The party was held at You-Show Duel School, which was closed on account of four of its regular students celebrating their birthday with the rest of the students, and a few extra friends. 

In this life, Serena, Rin, and Ruri were born as Yuzu’s cousins. This fact didn’t stop the boys from befriending each of them, and ultimately inviting all three (plus Ruri’s older brother, Shun) to the party. Honestly, Yuri was surprised that the girls and Shun were as close to Yuzu as they were. Shuzo was the middle child of _ten_ , after all. 

_Big family. My dear brothers are going to have a hard time learning the names of_ all _of their future in-laws,_ Yuri thought with an almost malicious glee. Watching them squirm will be very amusing.

The party was one of the best ones Yuri’s had in the past few lifetimes. Dynamic duels, smiles that Yuri never would have dreamed of seeing at Academia and, in Yuri’s opinion, the best part of the whole thing: the birthday cake mother had ordered from the best pastry in town. Layers of chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, wrapped in delicious frosting and topped with the most quality whipped icing available.

It was heavenly. 

Yuri nearly ate the whole thing by himself.

Just when the party was reaching its end, their mother pulled the four brothers aside to give them a very unexpected gift from their father. 

Yusho couldn’t make it to their birthday this year, as his flight home from a tournament in America had been delayed by bad weather, but despite his absence in most aspects of their lives, Yuri and his brothers did not doubt his love for them. His regular video calls were enough for them, and he never forgot a birthday, always finding a way to make sure that their gifts, at the very least, made it home to them on time, even if he didn’t. 

This birthday was no different. Yuri knew Yuya especially was looking forward to whatever gift their father found for them this time. No matter the life, Yuya’s adoration for Yusho never diminished.

“Your father won’t be home until tomorrow at the earliest, but he wanted me to give you these today. Happy Birthday. Yuto. Yugo. Yuya. And Yuri,” their mother said, pulling her hands forward from where she had hidden them behind her back. To each brother, she handed a small box, not unlike those fancy, special ones for gift cards.

Yuri felt a pull, so powerful and familiar that it was almost painful to resist a second longer. It seems that he wasn’t the only one feeling it, either, because Yugo, Yuya, and Yuto did not wait even a second after receiving their gift before practically ripping the decorative box in half to see what was inside.

Yuri felt like the last piece was finally placed into the puzzle that made up his being. He opened the box.

[STARVE VENOM]

Yuri picked up the card, cradling it gently in his hands like it was something precious. 

And it was.

Despite the hell he went through because of the spirit in this card, Starve Venom meant too much to him for Yuri to ever truly hate the dragon. 

Keeping a firm grasp on the card, Yuri turned his attention to the note inside the box.

[Happy Birthday, Yuri! If you’re reading this, it means that I was unable to make it home in time for your party. I’m sorry I can’t be there for you boys like most fathers, but I hope this gift will let you forgive me this time, at least. I found this card along with three others in a small shop during my time in America and thought of my dear sons and their love for dueling. And all of them just so happen to match the clans you all use for your decks! Hopefully, they will bring your dueling to new heights! With much love, Your Father :) ]

Yuri felt a small, genuine smile pull at his lips. Their father didn’t realize just how long Yuri and his brothers have waited to hold these cards in their hands once more. 

In every life, no matter where they are born or the circumstances they found themselves in, their dragons always made their way to the brothers. This life took a little longer than usual, but Yuri will be sure to give the man an actual hug when he gets home in thanks for finding their ace monsters and sending them to Japan. Who knows how long Yuri and his brothers would have had to wait before getting their dragons if Yusho hadn’t. None of them had plans of going to America anytime in the future.

Yuya shot forward and wrapped their mother in the most exuberant hug Yuri has seen in years. He had tears in his eyes, but those crimson eyes held nothing but tears of joy. It’d been a while since Yuri had seen Yuya look so… happy. 

_“The lack of sleep must take more out of him than we thought,”_ Yuri thought, as he also wrapped his mother in a loving and thankful hug, feeling Yuto and Yugo join in. _“We should bring that up when we talk tonight.”_

Yoko gave them one final squeeze and then leaned back with a proud smile.

“I’m glad you boys liked it. Your father was so worried you wouldn’t,” she pat each of them on the head and steered them towards their friends, “Now, go and enjoy the rest of your party, boys! You only turn twelve once, so make the most of it, okay?!”

Yuri laughed at the irony, and left to challenge Serena to another duel. 

Feeling the added weight of the new card in his deck, Yuri thought that this twelfth birthday was one of the best.

The two oldest brothers had gathered up all the pillows and blankets in the house and put them by the living room couch. The fairy lights had been strung up, and the movie had been selected. The only thing missing was the guest of honor, who was sleeping in his shared room, completely unaware of what his three older brothers were planning. 

Tonight was the night. The night where they would tell Yuya the truth. All of it.

Now, all they needed to do was wake him up.

Being the one to share a bedroom, Yugo was chosen for this task.

The blue eyed brother quietly made his way up the stairs and gently opened the door, avoiding that pesky squeaking noise that plagued his midnight snack escapades in the past. 

Yugo hadn’t stepped more than a foot into the room before Yuya was sitting up in his bed, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to shake himself from that space between wakefulness and sleep that he resided in most days.

“Yugo? What are you still up for? You said you’d come to bed almost an hour ago.”

Yugo walked over to his brother's bed and helped his brother stand up, the younger’s movements shaky and slow due to his grogginess. “Come on, Yuya. We need to go to the living room.”

“Wha-”

Yugo ignored his brother’s quiet exclamation of surprise. He was shaking with worry enough without adding his brother’s confusion to the mix. He instead helped his brother put on his fuzzy slippers, and took Yuya’s hand to guide him down the stairs into the living room. When the fort came into view, Yugo didn’t even have to look at Yuya to hear how baffled he was.

“The pillow fort? But…” Yuya paused, “don’t we have school tomorrow?” 

Yugo gave a quiet laugh, reaching the last step, “We all get decent enough grades to miss _one_ day of classes.” Yugo looked over his shoulder to his little brother, feeling older than his twelve year old body suggested, “And this conversation is a long time coming. We’ve kept you in the dark long enough.”

Yugo could see the curiosity in Yuya’s eyes, and gave an encouraging smile as they made their way to the couch. 

The two crawled inside the pillow fort, Yugo silently hoping that the place that had given Yuya such comfort would get them all through this dreaded conversation.

Inside, Yuto and Yuri were already sitting, Yuya’s usual spot left open for the younger. Yuya crawled over and then looked at each of his brothers in expectation.

Yuto, taking charge, cleared his throat. “I guess I’ll get straight to the point. What we wanted to talk to you about was… your dreams.”

Yuya’s eyes widened. “M-my dreams? What do you-”

Yuri interrupted gently, “Try and wait until the whole story is over before asking questions, okay?”

Yuya, despite looking almost fearful of what was about to be said, nodded in consent.

Yuto continued, looking right at Yuya. “Your dreams, Yuya, are more than just dreams. They’re _memories_.”

The three older brothers shared a meaningful glance at each other. Then, Yugo took a deep breath. 

By the time the horizon began to light with the early rays of the sun, they had told Yuya everything.

The first life. 

The final battle. 

Their capture. 

Their subjugation. 

Their garden. 

Their liberation. 

The Bridge. 

Their lives after. 

Their life now.

Everything they’ve kept hidden, laid bare for all to see. 

When the whole story was done, Yugo felt a weight lift from his shoulders. 

_No more secrets_ , he thought in relief, _I’ve always been kind of horrible with them._ He glanced up through his bangs to the little brother whose opinion mattered most right now. _How well did he take all this?_

Yuya’s eyes were shadowed by his bangs, the rest of his face betraying no emotion. Yugo grew worried. Did Yuya believe them? It _was_ kind of an outrageous story when you think about it. And they’d kept this from him for six years. What if he hated them?! What if… 

_Tears?_

Though Yugo still couldn’t see his eyes, those were unmistakable tears running down Yuya’s face. What’s wrong?!

Yuya’s hands slowly reached up to bush against the falling tears, before they began to furiously brush against his hidden eyes. Then, their youngest brother chuckled. Which turned into a giggle. Which then turned into full blown laughter. Yuya laughed and cried, seeming unable to control either.

“So,” Yuya finally got out between the sniggers and sobs, “I’m not crazy.”

“Huh?” Yugo vocalized. That was not a statement he was expecting.

Yuya finally lifted his head to show eyes filled with what Yugo could only describe as reverent relief. Like a burden so heavy that he would be crushed was suddenly lifted off of Yuya’s shoulders. 

Yuya let loose another manic giggle. “For the past six years, every night, I would dream. Dreams so realistic that I would sometimes wake up disoriented. Lost. Some nights, the dreams were so _perfect_ . Dreams of lives where I wasn’t scared to close my eyes every night. Dreams where no home was ever the same, but the people there were. Where Yuzu’s name wasn’t Yuzu, but it was her all the same. Dreams where I was with my three big brothers, growing old, getting jobs, and just _living life_. But those dreams, while realistic, could be called just that. Dreams.”

Yuya shivered. Yuto reached over to wrap an arm around the younger’s shoulders, offering Yuya a small comfort “But the others. The nightmares. Those can’t be _just_ dreams.”

“The dreams where, where you all _died_ , over and over and over again. All before you even hit puberty. And all I could do was watch. Where we lived in a beautiful castle, but were so broken that we couldn’t escape. Where Gongenzaka fell, and fell, and fell, and I could almost reach him before…” He paused, and Yugo assumed that Yuya was feeling the same lump in his throat that Yugo was.

“Everytime I woke up from one of _those_ dreams, I thought I was going crazy.” Yuya looked into his brothers’ eyes, his own crimson ones looking so _broken_ that Yugo wanted so badly to look away. “What kind of brother dreams, every night, of his older brothers’ deaths. So vividly. In so many ways.” Yuya reached up for his goggles that weren’t there, and instead buried his face in his hands. “I felt like a freak.”

Yuri shifted closer to Yuya, not close enough to touch, but _there_ all the same.

“But now you’re telling me that it was all real. That I’m _not_ crazy. That everything that I see each night is the truth, across all of these lives we’ve lived. That… That everything that happened… _wasn’t my fault_.”

Yugo couldn’t hold back anymore. He launched himself toward Yuya, not caring where he landed, just that he could hold Yuya. Be there for him. To make up for all the nights where he was there, but just wasn’t _enough_.

_We were there. We saw what he saw. Almost every dream since he was eight._ Yugo felt the tears run down his face, but couldn’t bring himself to care. _But it didn’t occur to us to question_ why _he was so scared. Yuya wasn’t so much as scared of the dreams as he was scared for what the dreams_ meant _._

“I'm not some soon-to-be-psychopath, one step away from snapping and killing everyone just like in my dreams. That all of this is just my soul catching up with my body, bringing all of my memories to the surface.” Yuya reached, and wrapped his arms around all of them in a desperate hug. “That, despite how much trouble I’ve caused you over these years, you _still love me_ .” Yuya began to shake with the force of his tears. “I couldn’t care less that you kept this from me for so long. _I don’t care!_ Because you stayed. You didn’t leave me when you got less sleep than I did watching over me every night. You make sure I don’t lock myself in the house, when, sometimes, I’m too scared to face the world. You kept me _here_ , focusing on _this life_ . You kept your promise. You stayed. And I’m just so _grateful_.”

Yuto and Yuri wrapped their arms around Yuya in kind, shaking along with Yuya as they cried.

And Yugo cried, too, feeling relief unlike any other. 

_So are we, little bro. So are we._

Yuto sat on the floor in front of the living room table, balancing his deck as Yuya napped peacefully on the living room couch. 

Now thirteen years old, Yuya’s dreams have yet to wane in their frequency. But after his brothers told him of the real reason behind them, their crimson eyed brother no longer felt that his vivid dreams were the product of some twisted part of his mind. He still had trouble sleeping at night, but the knowledge that his brothers would be there for him despite it all proved to be a great comfort to the young performer. Things seemed to have fallen into a manageable pattern, to the relief of all parties involved.

They found that napping seemed to help. While Yuya didn’t get as much sleep as he would if he had a full night’s rest, the naps helped him at least _function_ for the majority of the day. 

Why he, Yuri, and Yugo hadn’t thought of it sooner would remain a mystery.

Yuya took to the naps like a fish took to water. So much so that their little brother now bordered on narcoleptic with how often he’d collapse _everywhere_ to get another few moments of sleep. Despite the trouble this new habit caused them (catching a suddenly sleeping Yuya before he fell down the school stairs had _not_ been fun), Yuto and his brothers couldn’t bring themselves to make him stop. They were just happy Yuya hadn’t tried to stay awake for days on end again.

Today was one of the calmer days. The memory from the night before hadn’t been _too_ draining, and it also just so happened to be their day off from school. Yuri had left the house to duel Dennis and Serena in the park nearby while Yugo had shut himself in the garage with Rin and Crow, the latter helping the other two fine tune their nearly-finished D-Wheel.

Yuto decided to forgo hanging out with Shun today, wanting to spend the day with his youngest brother, even if the day would be entirely spent with the younger napping in the calm of the living room. 

Yuya let out a groan as he sat up from his prone position on the living room couch after waking from his nap.

Yuto smiled at his brother’s exaggerated yawn, calling to him from where he sat next to the small table. “You awake now, lil bro?”

Yuya’s body flopped back onto the couch, giving a content sigh as his only response. 

Yuto chuckled and went back to fixing up his deck, letting Yuya get a few more minutes of much deserved sleep.

_Peaceful days like these are so few and far between,_ he thought, listening to Yuya as the younger’s breath steadied once again, indicating that he’d fallen asleep. _If our theory proves right, after next year, we could have more of these. Ones that Yuya will actually be awake for._

It was a conversation Yuto, Yuri, and Yugo had had often. When would Yuya get all of his memories back? They knew why he was getting his memories in this manner, but the three of them never got all their memories until right before their fourteenth birthday. _After_ they die. 

If there was one thing that Yuto and his brothers wanted to avoid, it was the death of their youngest at age 14. 

_He’s not dying._ Yuto swore, glancing at Yuya _, I’d sooner jump in front of the bus that tries to hit him before I’d let that happen._

Yuto knew that Yuri and Yugo would do the same. 

This was the first time this has ever happened to them, and they had no one to discuss this stuff with. Even with Yuya added to the group, their younger brother only remembered so much of his time as Keeper. Bits and pieces, mostly information the others already knew. So all they could really do was wait. 

_It’s agonizing._

Yuto glanced over at Yuya.

_But it’s nothing we can’t deal with. For him._

Thought settled once more, Yuto returned to balancing his deck.

“CRAAAAAAAPPPPPPP!”

Yuto heard Yugo long before the garage door slammed open. Yuto watched as his brother charged through the living room and up the staircase. 

Turning his head to the garage door, Yuto looked imploringly at Rin and Crow, who’d let themselves inside.

Rin gave an embarrassed chuckle. “He forgot we have a science exam tomorrow. He hasn’t studied, and he’s freaking out.”

Yuto chuckled. _That sounds like something he’d do._

Crow scratched the back of his head. “If it’s alright with you guys, I’m gonna head home now. Mom wanted me to watch the kids tonight.”

“Thanks for your help, Crow,” Rin said, walking with him to the front door, “We should be able to do the finishing touches ourselves.”

“No problem, Rin. You two call if you need any more advice,” Crow replied.

Crow opened the front door, revealing a heavily breathing Yuri who was reaching for the handle, Serena and Dennis just a few paces back.

Yuto watched the proceedings with a knowing smirk. He started putting away his scattered deck and tidying up the table.

“Yuri,” Rin exclaimed in question, “I thought you, Serena, and Dennis were going to be dueling at the park all day.”

Yuri composed himself as he strutted into the house. “We were doing just that, but after thoroughly beating Serena and Dennis 5 times each, I grew quite bored. I thought something here could entertain me.” He began heading in the direction of the stairs, Serena and Dennis having just made it to the front door.

“See you guys later,” Crow shouted. Everyone voiced their farewells, and Crow shut the door behind him.

Serena watched as Yuri made his way up the staircase and replied to her cousin. “We have a math exam tomorrow, and _Yuri_ hasn’t studied. You should have seen him running over here after he realized.” She smirked.

Yuri turned around, his face beat red. “Shut it, Serena! You didn’t remember either!”

Dennis interjected, “That’s true. But Serena doesn’t… struggle in math quite like you do.”

Yuri huffed, and walked the rest of the way up the stairs, trying his best to save face. Yugo came down a few moments later carrying an armful of papers and textbooks.

“Yuto, help!” He yelled. “I have a history exam tomorrow, too!”

Yuto laughed and waved him over, patting the space next to him. _I wonder when he’ll realize that it’s not just a whole bunch of exams tomorrow. It’s_ Midterms _._

Yugo unceremoniously dropped all his papers onto the table and sat down on the carpet, furiously flipping through pages and scribbling down notes. Rin sat herself down next to him, shaking her head fondly.

Serena and Dennis made themselves at home, roaming the kitchen looking for snacks.

Yuri came down the stairs a few minutes later, carrying a piled twice as large as the one Yugo had.

“I went ahead and got yours and Yuya’s things, too,” he said, setting everything down. “I know you two haven't been studying either.”

Yuto nodded in thanks, and turned to the youngest, who somehow slept through the previous chaos. Shaking his arm, Yuto watched as Yuya rolled over and cracked open one of his eyes. The young boy gave a hum of questioning.

Yuto smiled. “Up and at'em, Yuya. We’ve got midterms to study for.”

Yuya let out an agonized moan, obviously having forgotten about the exams as well. Yuya rolled off the couch and wormed his way to the empty spot beside Yuto. Yuya looked down at the papers in front of him and promptly fell asleep once more, his face mushed into the opening textbook.

Yuto ruffled Yuya’s red and green hair, and sat himself back down. Yugo and Yuri seem to have gotten into another fight, and the only things stopping the books from being thrown were the snacks Serena and Dennis had set in the middle of the table. Yuto shook his head and started studying.

_No matter what comes, Yuya will be okay. He’s got all of us to look out for him. And if all we can really do is wait, we may as well make these days the best for him as we can._

__

Three brothers arose from their beds, confused and concerned.

Their little brother didn’t have a nightmare last night. 

While this usually wouldn't be something older siblings would be concerned by, the last time their youngest didn’t wake up in a fit in the middle of the night, they found out that he’d been refusing to sleep, _period_.

Suffice to say, they had ample reason to worry. Especially with today being the last day. The day that had to pass peacefully for the three brothers to stop worrying. Stop being hyper vigilant. Stop handling their youngest like glass.

Today was their 14th birthday. 

Yuto, Yuri, and Yugo bolted out of their rooms, panic overtaking them.

_Please,_ they thought _, let him be okay. Let him be_ alive _._

They searched the whole house. Where was he?

The bathroom? No.

The living room? The kitchen? Nope and no.

The garage? Nothing but bikes and bolts.

The backyard? Grass, flowers, and fruit, but no brother.

He wasn’t home.

The brothers ran out the front door. If he wasn’t at home, he had to be somewhere else.

“Did he mention having plans today?” Yugo asked. They’d already searched Yuya’s favorite park, gymnasium, and coffee shop.

“No, he didn’t,” Yuto bit out, feeling stressed. In fact, the four of them had promised to spend all day together. While Yuya had eventually figured out _why_ his older brothers were being so protective, and understood where they were coming from, Yuya had never liked feeling caged. Knowing this, his brothers had made a promise. They would spend the next week together, all day, no matter what came up. And after their 14th birthday came and passed, Yuya would have all the space he needed. Just as long as he let them have this.

And Yuya had agreed.

The brothers felt lost. What could have happened? Why did it happen today, of all days? Where could Yuya _be_?

Searching their memories, the boys tried to figure out what could have happened? What did they miss that lead to them running around town, looking for a little brother who seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

Yugo started hesitantly, “He’s been dreaming a lot lately. Like, more than usual.”

Yuri nodded. “I think you’re onto something, banana head. He usually isn’t bombarded by memories when he naps. But lately, he can’t go 20 minutes before he’s out like a light and caught in a memory. I’ve been trying to get him to talk about it, but Yuya’s been deflecting.”

“So, he’s been remembering more, and has obviously been stressed out about it.” Yuto summarized. “That still doesn’t explain where he went and why.”

Yuri gasped.

“What if he went up there?” In the direction Yuri was pointing stood their town’s tallest building. 

“You guys remembered what happened after the Gongenzaka incident, right?” He inquired, “Yuya refused to fly after that. Heck, he refused to leave his room for almost a week! But, no matter how much he denied it after the fact, he had always loved flying.”

“And when he stopped,” Yugo continued, hand to his chin in contemplation, “anytime he felt the urge, or even just when he needed to be alone…”

Yuto started a brisk pace to the skyscraper. “He’d climb the highest tower in the castle, and watch the clouds.”

Their fast paced walk broke into a run.

It took them five minutes to reach the tower, and another ten to sneak around the secretary to the stairs that lead to the roof. It would have taken less, but Yugo is horrible at sneaking, and almost blew their cover to the guards _twice_.

He was, however, the fastest runner, and so was the one to shove the roof’s latched door open, revealing the bright blue sky and the scant few clouds rolling over it.

And there, sitting on the edge of the building, was Yuya. His head was tilted back with his eyes closed, seeming to be basking in the morning sunlight.

The brothers stopped to catch their breath. They hadn’t bothered with using the elevator, and they were almost regretting that decision.

Yuto recovered first. “Yuya?” he called over the gentle wind that didn’t feel so gentle 50 stories in the air.

They watched as Yuya took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He turned his head, and looked at his brothers gathered around the roof’s entrance. 

And then he smiled. He smiled a _familiar_ smile. One that the other boys only saw when they were sitting together in a familiar, pearly white expanse.

Yuya glanced up at the sky once again. “There was always one thing the Bridge could never get right.” He said, the smile never leaving his face as he looked into each of their eyes, “The clouds were too white. And the sky… the sky was never _this_ blue.”

They had to wait the agonizing 10 seconds it took Yuya to swing his legs back onto solid stone. They had to wait the agonizing 5 seconds it took for him to walk far enough away from the ledge.

They waited no more before Yuya was at the bottom of a dog pile that doubled as a group hug.

Yuya laughed, welcoming the familiar weight of familiar arms wrapped around him.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” he said, tears in the corner of his eyes.

“Worth it.”

“You owe me a dosen cakes.”

“Hm.”

Familiar replies, from familiar voices. And there was one thing Yuya couldn’t deny.

These three were his brothers, and he wouldn’t trade them for this world, or the next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know how much I really like this ending, but this is all I got for now. If I keep banging my head against the wall trying to make it “perfect” it will never get posted. I hope you find it worth the wait! 
> 
> After this, Yuya and the boys live out their lives before once again meeting the Ens, who sort all this out so Yuya doesn’t have to suffer when remembering. He’ll be just like his bros, and everyone lives happily ever after (unless my brain decides they haven’t suffered enough and I end up writing a sequel (Please, brain, don’t make them suffer anymore. They've been through enough). 
> 
> I don’t have plans for a sequel, but I’ve got a few short one shots I could add to this universe of mine if I feel up to writing them. Some snapshots from before, during, and after The Bridged Between and maybe even After Leaving the Bridge. I’ve got other fanfic ideas I promised myself I’d work on, but I’ve been sucked back into this series once before so I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again.
> 
> For now, though, this is it for the Bridge Between series. I hope you enjoyed it. And remember: If you have any questions, leave a comment. If you don’t have questions and just want to say something, leave a comment. If you want to bash on my horrendous writing, leave a comment! All comments are welcome in this household!


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